Congress Pushes Trump Admin With 1 Bold Funding Threat
Lawmakers use a major funding threat to force release of a double-tap strike video, escalating tension with the Trump administration over military transparency.
US lawmakers are attempting to pressure the Trump administration into releasing video of a controversial "double-tap" military strike by restricting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget.
The incident, which occurred on September 2nd, in which the US launched a second deadly attack on a boat in the Caribbean, has raised new questions about the legitimacy of Trump's campaign to target vessels allegedly carrying drugs.
A provision hidden in a longstanding defense spending policy would limit travel funds for Hegseth's office until the Pentagon submits unedited footage. The bill is expected to pass with bipartisan support.
US President Donald Trump says it is up to Hegseth to decide whether to release the video.
Trump denied that he had previously said he would have "no problem" releasing the footage – even though the comment was made on camera on Wednesday.
Congress's threat to withhold funds from Hegseth's travel budget comes amid a clamor for information from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.
It's hidden in a 3,000-page draft bill focused on approving next year's defense spending. This annual bill authorizes approximately $901 billion (£687 million) in funding.
The final draft of the bill, first reported by Politico, states that Hegseth's office cannot spend more than three-quarters of the available funds for travel for 2026 unless he meets certain conditions.
These include an obligation to provide the House and Senate Armed Services Committees with "all unedited videos of strikes conducted against designated terrorist organizations within the United States Southern Command area of responsibility."
The draft points to the way Trump has described his attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, claiming they target designated terrorist organizations.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said that every sunken boat allegedly carrying drugs has saved the lives of 25,000 Americans, and claimed that drug trafficking into the US by sea has virtually stopped.
His administration has tried to justify its actions by claiming it is engaged in a non-international armed conflict with the alleged smugglers. Dozens of people have been killed in the months-long operation, but the administration has not publicly provided evidence to support its claims of guilt in each case. Experts have questioned the legality of the attacks, raising concerns among both Republicans and Democrats.
Particularly regarding the "double-tap" attack on September 2, experts point out that according to the so-called laws of war, parties involved in armed conflict have a responsibility to rescue wounded survivors, not to attack them again.
According to the Washington Post, nine people were killed in the first attack on the ship, and two were clinging to burning debris when they were attacked again, killing themselves.
The White House has repeatedly stated that it is acting under the laws of armed conflict.
It maintains that the second attack was ordered by a Navy admiral, not Hegseth, who has become the focus of scrutiny of the attack and the White House's narrative surrounding it.
Senior members of Congress who were shown the video last week at a briefing by that admiral, Frank Bradley, had differing views.
Jim Himes of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he found the video of the second attack "very, very disturbing."
But Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas disagreed, calling the strikes "completely legal and necessary."
Trump previously posted video of the first attack on September 2nd, and he has been repeatedly asked whether he will release video of the second attack.
Last Wednesday, the president responded to a question on camera about the video, saying: "I don't know what they have, but whatever they have, we'll certainly release it, no problem."
Five days later, he responded to a question from the same network, saying: "I didn't say that. It's—you said, I didn't say that."
He further clarified: "Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is fine with me."
In his most recent comments on the subject, Hegseth didn't give a definitive answer, saying: "We're reviewing the process, and we'll see."
Two sources told CBS that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine are scheduled to brief top congressional lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon.
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